Who or What got you started?

When I joined the Boy Scouts in the '70's, it became apparent to me how useful a tool a pocketknife could be. My dad was an electrician, and used them in his trade, but only carried in his tool kit - not his person. He didn't have any to hand down, or any interest in buying me one. So, when I was 7, I found a Girl Scout knife at a garage sale for $.50. Like the standard Scout knife, but slightly smaller, with translucent green scales. I loved that thing, scraped it on my oilstone all the time (though I'm not sure it ever got sharp) and carried it through Junior High. Even at school, in CA.
At age 8, I was obsessed with getting a "Buck" knife. I meant the 119, but didn't realize what a wide assortment they made at the time. For my 9th B-day, my dad got me a little 3" carbon-steel Western fixed blade. Even then, the handle was to small. It took me until I was 10 to get my own Buck - actually picked up the 104. It was the perfect size at the time, and in my price range. I still have it, and it's still barely used. I finally got it sharp enough to actually cut something (including paper and arm hair) after finding this site. It currently resides in my wife's GHB, next to her (own, before she met me) Vic Camper SAK.
I picked up a few others as a kid, and found a Gerber folder (110 knockoff of some type) in a leather sheath with sharpening steel, in the gutter while on my paper route. My cousin had shown an interest in my GS knife since we were little, so I gave it to her for her 13th B-Day shortly thereafter.
I continued to EDC the Gerber all through High School. Somewhere around 2000, I lost it myself (though I still have the sheath and steel.)
Along the way, I picked up a Vic Explorer in High School. Kept it with my tools. Loaned it to my brother after graduation. He lost it.
After that, I bought, received, and found a number of Vic Classics. I had one or another on my keychain for about 10 years. Lost 2 in as many years to the TSA, grew cynical, had kids, kinda ignored my passion for ~ 4 years.
THEN, one day, about a year ago, I was taking out the trash and needed to cut up a cardboard box I was holding. Thought how nice it would be to have a knife in my pocket that I could open and close with one hand. (What a concept, no?)
Dug through my tool collections, and located a cheap emtech that came with a multitool I picked up a couple years ago. Began carrying it. After about a month, all the screws fell out.
Had a gift card from the red ball store (Tar-something) - went on the lookout for something appealing, of decent quality, that they carry. Located a SOG Fusion Salute for no "money" out of pocket. Got it, like it, but thought it a little large and a lot heavy for EDC. (It currently resides in my glove box, next to a pocketplier.) About that same time, I ordered a Japanese Chef's knife for the kitchen, and figured I'd need some stones to maintain it.
Then I found the BF... and my wallet has never been the same.
I tried a bunch or BMs and KAI's at a local shop, and picked up a gaggle of Kershaw blems to figure out what features I prefer and what size I'm looking for. Now I've got a couple more Vic SAKs, Leathermans, a Case, a pair of BMs, a couple Spydies with another on the way, and a Scrapyard. So far, I love carrying my 940 Osborne, but am looking forward to rotating it with my blue M390 Para2 next year... I'm happy, my wife a bit less so, and I "may" be nearly done expanding my collection. For now. Until something better comes along... (I see tan canvas RMD's are avail again...)
 
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Started off with Case and Benchmade Then Got into big dollar knives Microtech and Chris reeve Knives Have several brands just got to point where i have over 100 knives.
 
Well, I'll never forget it. I was in 8th grade and her name was Kathy Wingate. She was babysitting and invited me over and one thing lead to another and ... oh, wait ... got me started with my knife addiction!! Sorry about that.

My Dad always carried a little Case pocket knife (Stockman I think). The blade was worn into a recurve from sharpening. I lusted after that little knife for 10 years until it dropped off a boat seat into the lake. I got into Scouting and Dad bought me a Western fixed blade for camping trips and hunting ... and that was the last I saw of my sanity.
 
years ago back when i was in my early teens i got a coldsteel. sadly i have no clue where it is. back then in the early 90's i was able to buy it in a shopping mall.
 
One word...Macgyver! and my Dad bought me a small Swiss Army Knife when I was young.
 
A eight years ago on the night before My Dad and i went on a trip to the Carribean Island of Culebra, my mom gifted me with a Black vic Classic. I dutifully carried it for the next year or so, until i lost it somewhere in my room, but by then i was hooked, i was only 7 at the time. My collection grew, i had A mora, a few bucks, etc. Then the disease went dormant for a few years, i still had knives, but i never felt the urge to buy more. Some time last summer at my local farmers market, i noticed a table covered in all sorts of knives, fixed blades mostly. I went over and introduced my self, the mans name was Jim Bensinger. I talked with him for a few hours. Fast forward a year, $500 bucks, 20 knives, 3 customs, and here i am.
 
When I was 5 my parents gave me a cheap 4 inch fix blade and a pocket knife with a spoon and fork on it for Christmas. This started my interest in knives. About a month before my 7th birthday my brother started teasing me about the present that he had bought me and said that it was so nice that he thought he was going to keep it for himself. I did not know what it was, but he kept on taunting me with what I might receive. On my b-day I opened up my present from my brother and it was an Old Timer Sharp Finger. I thought it was beautiful and it was sharp. I ended up cutting myself with it the first day when I was putting it back in the sheath. It sliced right through the sheath and my jeans into my leg. All I thought was WOW, I had never experienced a knife this sharp before. I did not feel any real resistance of the blade going through the materials. That was when I started to find out what knives were capable of doing and have had a love affair with them ever since.
 
deepseaclimber said:
When I was 5 my parents gave me a cheap 4 inch fix blade and a pocket knife with a spoon and fork on it for Christmas. This started my interest in knives. About a month before my 7th birthday my brother started teasing me about the present that he had bought me and said that it was so nice that he thought he was going to keep it for himself. I did not know what it was, but he kept on taunting me with what I might receive. On my b-day I opened up my present from my brother and it was an Old Timer Sharp Finger. I thought it was beautiful and it was sharp. I ended up cutting myself with it the first day when I was putting it back in the sheath. It sliced right through the sheath and my jeans into my leg. All I thought was WOW, I had never experienced a knife this sharp before. I did not feel any real resistance of the blade going through the materials. That was when I started to find out what knives were capable of doing and have had a love affair with them ever since.
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I know that feeling, My first old timer was the same way it was old timers copy of the Buck 110 and I was wiping off the blade with my shirt and next thing I knew i was bleeding all over the place. I still have that knife and still love it. but my tastes in edc have grown.
 
I was always an explorer.
At the age of about 7, while dad was at work and mom was busy cooking, i snuck in my dads office and opened up an old brown
suitcase. Pandora's Box held about a few dozen of various knives. As luck had it, i first grabbed a switch blade, and didnt know at
the time how it worked. Dad later that day showed me, and i was hooked.
 
My dad had a SAK and a German auto he bought in Germany while in the Army in the early '50s. I bought a SAK once I joined the Air Force (wondered if it was OK for a USAF officer to carry a Swiss Army knife) and then bought an early Spyderco Endura. Broke the plastic clip off while removing it from the package, but I now own about 6 Spydercos. I also own Benchmade, Al Mar, Boker, and numerous others, as well as taking up making knives from parts as a really aggravating hobby.
 
When i was 9 or 10 i got a johnson smith novelty catalog, they had pocket knives in there,i thought they were cool,bought an imperial 2 blade penknife for 1.98, still have it, thats what started the hobby for me.
 
Grandpa. He used to let me take one of his folders on hike in the woods not far from his place (now my place) where I'd almost inevitably carve myself a spear out of some hapless sapling. I think he might have also bought me my first folder, which I'm sad to say I lost on a trip picking fiddle heads. :(

His philosophy on sharpening seemed to be "remove as much metal and temper on a silicon carbide wheel as possible"... but that aside, thanks Gramps!
 
my dad is a construction worker and he had a craftsman folder, like a buck 110. he used to let me open and close it when mom wasnt around. he also gave me his boyscout folder when we went on our first boy scout campout when i was around 10. im 27 now and a cook. i love using and looking at different kitchen knives. i started carrying a gerber paraframe to open boxes at work when i wanted to upgrade and started doing research i fell into this crazy addiction. thanks a lot, guys.
 
I found an elk shed behind the cabin. I used it as a coat rack for a year until it broke. It looked bad, So i figured I should chop it up and put it on a knife. The Buck 110 was on sale at Canadian Tire, so it became the frame. I've done nearly 100 110's since.
 
It all started with a Kamp King that my dad gave me in second grade. Fuel was added to the fire when shortly after that my aunt gave me a SAK. Imagine a SAK in the hands of a third grader! That was gold! Finding this forum as an adult was just icing on the cake.
 
My father had always been an avid woodworker and outdoorsman, and he got me into woodworking and camping at a pretty early age. I'd say the knife that got me into "high end" knives was the Kershaw Cyclone - although it wasn't my first knife, it was the first knife I bought for myself. Still own it, but don't use it as much as I ought to for fear of losing it.
 
Got started with a SAK (Spartan model, if memory serves me right). First locking folder was Rigid stainless steel lockback, probably mid to late 90's. First "modern" locking folder with pocket clip was the Smith & Wesson SWAT, probably around 2000-2001. Carried that for a few years until I found out about better locking folders.
 
Granpaw got me a fixed blade when I was 5 ( 1967)

I cut my finger with it and liked it :)

When I was 10 or so , I went to an outdoor shop and bought my first knife for myself ; a copy of a Buck 110 ( G-96 brand) I still have it. Worst blade play ever , but I used it in the bush for many years. A few cheap knives came and went , and then I found this place 3 years ago. Now I have very many more.:D
 
Boy scouts in the 90s. Dad was a scout leader and taught me.knife and gun safety at an early age. Then knives became a defensive tool in my teens as well as remaining a useful camping and hiking tool. Today i carry a blade mostly for work opening auto parts boxes and cutting hoses and stuff. Im currently trying to decide which folder to go with as a defensive knife. Can carry a pistol everywhere.
 
Something about "survival" peaked my interest a few years ago, and I got to looking into all the outdoor/camping gear. I walked into an REI one day after work, just to browse and see what was available gear wise. Ended up in the knife section, looking at one of those firesteel/tinder compartment type blades. Almost ready to buy when I decided to fondle some of the knives in the case. Ended up walking out with a benchmade mini grip and been into knives ever since
 
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